AFRIPOL.ORG
IDEAS HAVE
CONSEQUENCES
Conflict Analysis &
Resolution
Africa Political & Economic Strategic Center
(AFRIPOL) Conflict Analysis &
Conflict Resolution Program seeks and strives to find ways, means and
methodology to resolve conflicts and management of crisis in Africa.
For Africa to become an economic and political landscape of stability and
growth, a peaceful Africa must be realized. Through the application of innovative
and conventional ideas, conflicts can be resolved or skillfully managed to
unthreatening levels.
With training workshops, researches, symposia, lectures and educational
analysis, conflicts be it ethnic, national, ideological, religious within and
outside groups can be on a path to a cessation.
AFRIPOL will provide a
comprehensive and systematic study with analysis on most of the conflict hot
spots in Africa. Subsequently, workshops will be formulated and organized based
on facts and research.
AFRIPOL will gladly solicit ideas and aid from institutions, foundations,
experts and leaders who have the common dispositions to conflict resolutions
especially in Africa.
CONFLICT ANALYSIS & CONFLICT RESOLUTION
* Letters
* Speeches
* Interviews
HOME
INTRODUCTION: THE PRESENTATION OF
THE FIRST OF THE SERIES OF PUBLICATIONS ON CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS, CITIZENS AND
RIGHTS TITLED: PEACEFUL AFRICA AND WORLD:
TAKING A STAND ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION .
PEACEFUL AFRICA AND WORLD: TAKING A STAND ON CONFLICT
RESOLUTION
Do unto others, as you would want others do unto you.
- The Golden Rule
The inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all
members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in
the world
- UN Universal Declaration of Human Right
True peace is absence, not only of overt conflict, but of all resistance,
contradiction and opposition.... for every man seeks peace by waging war, but no
man seeks war by making peace. For even they who intentionally interrupt the
peace in which they are living have no hatred of peace, but only wish it changed
into a peace that suits them better.
-St. Augustine
Peace
is good for business. No investor or capitalist desires to put his or her money
in a troublous society, where conflicts and wars create instability and poor
consumers. In developing world especially Africa, conflicts are ubiquitous, with
dire consequences on their economic growth.
The economic merits of sustainable peace cannot be overemphasis. In addition,
the political, cultural and social implications of peace in a society are
affirmative and liberating.
Peace literally is not the total absence of conflict and war, but absence of
major catastrophic events that may derail co-existence among groups and
individuals in a given society. When we talk of peaceful society, we talk of
stable and functional society, where law and order exist. Here conflicts are
managed and reduced to a minimal level. Peace encompasses respect for law, which
guarantees the protection of lives and properties. However, absolute peace is
idealistic. If a government adequately carries out her basic role of
safeguarding the society and is able to prosecute recalcitrant people through
fair hearing, we can then conclude that a peaceful society and a decisive
government have emerged.
The problem in most conflicts in the developing countries especially Africa, is
the weak central government which is not necessarily in control and hence
centripetal instability protrudes its tendrils to all the nooks and corners of
the society. Basically, it is total breakdown of law and order that is
confronting Africa in all the hot spots of the continent. When wars were raging
in Liberia, Sudan and others, there were no legitimate governments, the citizens
were decimated and the scanty underdeveloped infrastructures they had were all
unfortunately destroyed. In those instances, there were no functional
governments. The parties at war were in struggle for dominance, control of the
central governments and countries’ resources. There was no possibility of a
short-lived war with an emerging winner, because none of those parties had the
resources nor the technical know how to prosecute a quick and successful
warfare. Those protracted wars were mainly fought primarily for the control of
the countries’ natural resources.
The indigenous news media insinuated those wars as religious, ethnic and tribal
without explaining the intricacy of the conflicts as relevant to economic
motivations. The media coverage of wars in Africa especially the international
media is quite simple but full of inexactitude. None of the news intelligentsia
tried to highlight the underlying problems in those wars because the outcome of
the wars would always have effect on their predetermined agenda. They seldom
take sides in order to protect their perceived interest. The media has abandoned
the role of searching and upholding the truth, remember the maxim: Truth is the
first casualty of war.
So without the truth, how can the actual causes of the conflicts -cum- wars be
genuinely and ultimately resolved? Well these are the major problems that hamper
investors in investing their precious capitals in these disaster zones. For
developing nations to become a beacon of investors, all these wars must be put
to an end and the conflicts at least be managed to a level that does not
threaten the status quo. No serious investors will after analyzing the proposed
investment feasibility studies, ignore all the vulnerable conditions therein and
go ahead and invest their wealth in such places that are prone to conflicts or
where wars are already raging. Developing countries that are confronted with
these protracted problems of conflicts must fashion out ways and means to check
and eliminate those destructive forces in their societies. The leaders must be
willing to understand the language of conflict resolution, which is COMPROMISE.
Without compromise, there will be no end to any conflicts and wars. The answer
to a troublous world and incessant conflicts is compromise. Unfortunately these
political leaders see themselves as tin gods; and see compromise as a mere
weakness and sell-out. These leaders prefer to be feared rather than being
loved, the vintage machivelli’s admonition. In their illusion, they believe that
once people perceive them as chicken-hearted and malleable that internal
opposition will unnecessarily erupt. These leaders must accept that oppositions
(both internal and external) are part and parcel of the polity. There is rarely
any political dispensation without opposition. Without oppositions, polity will
not be up and doing. Oppositions provide alternative answers should the ruling
team fail to perform. These leaders refuse to accept dialectical polity, in
which there are opposing views. All the groups and individuals in the given
society must not necessarily see things in the same perspective as the ruling
class and the political leaders do. There is sense and sensibility that exist in
individuals and groups because of existential relativity. There must be set of
laws that govern a society in which nobody will be seen to be above. But the
reverse is the case in developing nations; obnoxious laws and draconian decrees
are rolled out for the masses while the leaders themselves are sacred cows
covered with immunity. The immunity clause aids them to circumvent laws with
reckless abandon. This Orwellian lifestyle of these societies weakens the rule
of law in those places. Without the leaders knowing it, they have sabotaged the
system by their behaviors. They sometimes unjustly extend favor to their friends
and their ethnicity. The nepotism and tribalism practiced by those in the
corridors of power provoke the sensibilities of the rest of other clans and
tribes. These other groups would plot ways to capture power. This would
subsequently result in ethnic and civil wars. Take a look at what happened in
Rwanda east of Africa, where almost one million Tutsis were killed and their
bodies hacked to pieces by their fellow citizens of Hutus extraction.
The rule of law as enshrined in the constitution is still the corner stone of
living in a peaceful society. When a citizen’s social contract and protection
under law are fully taken care of, such a citizen will no doubt have faith in
the system and in his or her fellow citizen. But when the laws are double
standard in their application and could not stand a test of originality in its
application, the coercion of society is bound to wither and eventually
dissipate. One thing the ruling class never grasped or refused to accept is that
once a group is marginalized, the codes of conduct governing that society are
simultaneously abused. Stability cannot be achieved when various groups of the
population in a society feel as if they were strangers in their own country.
Even if their perceptions are abstract, those encumbrances that impede them not
to have had a sense of belonging in the given country and society must be
addressed. All the areas of their perceived marginalization must be looked into
and measures taken to remedy such situation. When the remedy is costly and
complex, it is self evident that it is being attended to and not discarded on
the roadside. When justice is selective in the course of a normal application of
law, there is no justice in sight for poor masses. Justice must be the
operational word, not just in word but in action. Justice demands equity and
fairness. When justice is done, everybody must be able to recognize, testify and
appreciate it without any doubt or reservation. This is where consensus comes
in, there can never be absolute consensus, there is nothing like 100% consensus
but a majority acceptance of the outcome is a general consensus especially from
the group that feels alienated.
When the constitution is strongly adhered to by the ambassadors of law, there
will be respect for law and this will invariably guarantee the rights and
protection of the minority. The tyranny of the minority by the majority of the
population group must be rejected in any form. This is where the constitutional
protection of minority rights matter. When the minority protection under law is
not given priority in the law of the land, the abuse of the minority is
imminent. Mind you the last hope of a common man in the street to seek redress
is law court. But where such cannot dispense justice, it poses a great danger to
the society. This may trigger off retaliation that will eventually lead the path
to nihilism and possibly anarchy. In essence a special attention must be paid to
the maintenance of cordial relationship among compatriots. Different ethnic
groups must be made to imbibe that there is strength in diversity. This is only
possible when they live in harmony and work together for a common goal.
Peace and stability attract foreign investments. It is of a paramount
consideration to the investor that his capital, property and wealth are
safeguarded and protected by the law.
When investments are in good hands and the society is at peace, the returns from
investments can be repatriated to the country of the foreign investor and this
will boost business ties between the countries. Most developing nations have not
yet built societies where respect for life, property and more importantly rule
of law is proclaimed supreme.
The use and application of propaganda is not necessary to construct an orderly
society; the point is not to brainwash nor intimidate people to respect the law.
A culture of respect of law must be cultivated in minds of citizens. The idea is
to let the people understand the merits of living in an orderly and peaceful
society. There is this other side of the coin that must be revealed to the
people, that when laws of the land are violated, culprits must not go
unpunished. No stone will be left unturned in the course of realizing a peaceful
and lawful society.
Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be called the children of God
The peace loving people will also gain the fruits of the society. Because they
are willing to work hard and play by the rule without cutting the line. They
will reap their rewards.
The point here is not to philosophize the significance of peace and tranquillity
but to appreciate the intrinsic value of a successful society.
Impact making investments including technology transfer and copy engineering
have eluded so many nations in Africa simply because of absence of peace and
conflict ridden. Nations have to look into preventive conflict measures, instead
of waiting to take actions to arrest conflicts when they rear their ugly head.
There must be stipulated measures that will be in place that should be
functional, which will continue to be applied in day to day running of a
society.
However, a big nation may fragment despite her outward peaceful nature. There
are preventive conflict measures. They are supposed to be incorporated in the
governing and running of a nation. When any nation neglects those aspects of
governance and sociology that prevent conflicts and enhance mutual relationship
between citizenry, the consequence is the eventual breakdown of the society. But
when the imminent danger is nipped in the bud through socialization and
education of the masses, the application of those preventive measures can truly
stabilize a factious society. In multifarious and multiethnic society, where
diversity of cultures and religions exist, it is imperative on the polity to be
extra careful and diligent in dealing with issues involving race, creed and
religion. When these constituents of the society are not prudently managed, the
consequences are violence, conflict and sometimes outright war. The most
damaging is the lack of trust and confidence even after the cessation of
conflict among citizens and groups in the given society. Rebuilding trust is
very difficult and it takes so many processes to regain understanding among
warring factions. An element of patience must exist to make amity sustainable.
To listen to one another is a great attribute of patience, with this attribute,
dialogue will be made possible. Before joint deliberations, emotions must be
checked and tamed to avoid escalation of the crisis. People must abandon their
comfortable zones and make themselves available for casual talk, which can
metamorphose into serious talk. By this, it implies that the willingness to give
peace a chance cannot be overemphasized. The idea to let loose the destructive
anger shows sense of maturity, this is an important ingredient in the making of
a peaceful society. When negative thoughts are challenged in a forum of conflict
resolution, citizens will begin to see themselves as people who can live
together in spite of their historical differences. Building a friendly
environment where citizens can relate to one another without fear of repression
is essential in sustaining a peaceful society. Those at the helm of authority
must grant audience to the aggrieved parties, so that they can air their views
without intimidation. This will assist in healing their wounds and will rightly
pave way for true reconciliation. At best, this will encourage peace. However,
such views must be constructive and not in a manner that will heat up the
polity. Resorting to dialogue is the greatest key in finding lasting solutions
to conflicts and wars. Giving citizens opportunity to express themselves can aid
in quelling violence that did arise out of frustration and paucity of medium to
voice out anger and grievances. But the modus operandi of expression must be non
violence and lawfully. Any society that is serious about co-existence in a
conflict free society must acknowledge the state of the people, their sense and
sensibility even their agitation. You cannot turn a blind eye to the yearnings
of the people, for if they are not carefully managed, a simmering anger will be
worn on the face of the society. The conflict emanating from such negligence can
precipitate into a devastating war. The government can avoid this by becoming a
watchdog of her impact on the populace, by using opinion polls and feelers to
gauge the moods and understanding of her citizenry. The motivation is not to be
a big brother and to be become paternalistic, rather to feel the pulse of the
society and comprehend the people much better.
Nothing should be taken for granted, neither be allowed to accumulate before
attended to.
In many developing countries, African nations in particular, allegiance to
ethnic extraction, religion and clan has stronger bond than the one to the
national governments. Besides, poverty has an intense hold on the masses and
this makes them to be gullible, politicians therefore, skillfully cashed in on
that to take undue advantage.
Whenever these political and tribal leaders suffer any loss, whether appointment
or election, they insinuate discrimination as the basis of their misfortune.
Little wonder, they are demagogues, they are detrimental to the polity, for they
overheat the polity for their own selfish ambitions. This is not the way a
responsible citizen must act under any circumstances. Even when such a leader
has a legitimate cause, he must channel his misgivings to the appropriate
authority in a civil manner and not to take laws into his hands. A true leader
must rise up to be a statesman, a centripetal criteria to vie for a national
position or appointment. But if they persist in bringing their grievances
unchecked in a public square, the danger of over heating the polity is
inevitable. The spill over will compass the society, subsequently violence and
destruction of lives and properties will demolish any tangible peace in that
given society. Leaders must not be self-centered to a point where they derelict
their responsibilities to the society.
Peace is a precious commodity, once consumed, becomes very difficult to be
recreated. Peace does not make itself nor sustain itself. Rather men and women
of goodwill make peace possible by being the guardian of peace. Extraordinary
talents given to some leaders can be skillfully utilized in the making of a
peaceful society. The true foundations of peace are fairness, equity and
justice. When these building blocks are present, co-existence as well as harmony
is feasible. Other factors including rule of law can be used to sustain peace.
But one has to be careful, for when brute force application is used to create an
orderly society, then pseudo peace has been given birth to. In this false peace,
a society is held together with reasonable tranquility by usage of fear via
intimidation as a weapon of control. Violence and torture are employed and
applied to silence the society. In essence, the primary problems militating
against the society were neglected while just the symptoms were been treated.
The simmering anger and grievances of the society have to be dealt with
accordingly. All the society is doing is buying time and deferring the impending
disaster. Seemingly stability derived from fear and force is not sustainable.
Eventually an implosion and bloody uprising may take place. Longevity and
profound peace must be the goal not superficiality for sake of international
public relation. The false peace cannot be sustained because the building blocks
of peace are absent. These building blocks of real peace are justice, fairness,
equity and equality. In a society that works toward genuine peace, those
building blocks must be the real foundation of a sustainable peace.
The INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, A UNITED
NATIONS COVENANT ON THE BASIC RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS AND NATIONS INCLUDING RIGHTS
TO FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, CONSCIENCE AND RELIGION, FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND RIGHTS
TO EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW must be the bedrock of a peaceful and conflict
free society.
Human decency and human rights are supremely divine, the corner stone of our
humanity and civilization.
These intrinsic principles are priceless and must be jealously protected
anywhere, anytime for sustainable peace.
By Emeka Ted Chiakwelu © 2006 AFRIPOL.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable
development in Africa
CLICK:
By Secretary-General of United Nations, Kofi Annan
HOME